VICROADS will focus on crash hotspot areas including Skipton Street, Mair Street and Sturt Street to reduce the number of accidents in the Ballarat area.
Ballarat drivers are making a high number of crash claims. The data comes just days after the TAC committed more than a billion dollars to trying reduce the road toll by 20 per cent by 2020.
“Shine Lawyers road accident law expert Cameron Cowan said country people continued to be over-represented in the road toll.
“The tragedies that have already occurred this year on Ballarat roads are deeply concerning and provide a poignant reminder of the responsibilities we all have to take care on the road,” Mr Cowan said.
Of the fatalities in Ballarat this year, three were drivers and three were passengers. Twice as many men were killed as women.
Four of these road users were killed in the early hours of the morning. Three crashes involved vehicles colliding from adjacent directions and two involved cars that were run off straight roads. Five of these fatalities occurred on a Saturday. A map compiled by Shine Lawyers using date from state government resource datavic showed a plethora of accident “hotspots” in the area. It highlighted Ballarat central, near the train station as being a hotspot. More than 59 crashes were recorded in that vicinity.
TACs Samantha Buckis said they were always looking for ways to to seriously reduce the road toll and number of crashes. She said it was important to acknowledge that drivers do make mistakes and ensure infrastructure alleviated that possibility.
VicRoads Regional Director Ewen Nevett said the organisation remained committed to regularly monitoring crash statistics to understand the safety performance of Ballarat’s arterial roads network.
“Our goals are not just about addressing known crash black spots - it’s also about getting ahead of crashes and making life-saving improvements in line with increasing demand as Ballarat grows,” Mr Nevett said.
“Some of our focuses include working with the community to make Sturt, Mair and Skipton Streets safer.
Construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Ballarat-Carngham Road and Haddon-Windermere Road, to address a significant crash history.”
Driving instructor Peter Ellis urged drivers to keep a safe distance, labeling Dana Street as a common crash site. View an interactive map at thecourier.com.au.
The map was crated by Shine Lawyers.
